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Papilio palamedes

PALAMEDES SWALLOWTAIL

LAUREL SWALLOWTAIL

Synonym: Pterourus palamedes

Florida native

A large dark swallowtail butterfly found in flatwoods and hammocks throughout most of Florida except the keys. The range extends mainly throughout the southeastern coastal states from Texas to Virginia, less frequently into New Jersey and the lower midwest.
Host plants for the palamedes swallowtail include members of the Laurel family, with the red bay a favorite. These butterflies are the primary pollinator of the pine lily.
Adult butterflies are very dark brown, appearing black, with broken yellow bands or rows of spots on the wings, There is usually a small yellow spot toward the front middle of the forewing. A narrow yellow line parallels the body on the underside of the hindwing.
Caterpillars start out brown and white with an eyespot on the thorax and an all-white rear end. Mature caterpillars are stout, green above and reddish below with a yellow line in between. A pair of eyespots and a pair of small orange spots are on the thorax with rows of tiny small blue spots on the abdomen of the caterpillar. The osmeterium is bright yellow.

Butterflies through Binoculars

Jeffrey Glassberg; Marc C. Minno; John V. Calhoun A field, finding and gardening guide to the butterflies of Florida

Purchases of this ebook made by clicking the image link below help support this websiteButterfly enthusiasts, nature lovers, and curious general readers will perhaps be surprised to learn that Florida's butterfly fauna is unique--and that, until the appearance of this volume, there has been no adequate field guide for the butterflies of this region. This guide simplifies identification by illustrating only species found in Florida--using superb photographs of live butterflies coupled with detailed range maps and identification data. It also offers, with unprecedented detail, much information on flight times and abundances for each of five Florida subregions, including reports on 70 localities in which to find butterflies. Lastly, discussions of the foodplants for each species along with suggestions for attracting these species to one's garden make this work invaluable for all Florida gardeners interested in butterflies.